ARSENIC IN YOUR WATER?

A few days ago one of our members wrote and was concerned about an interview with Sam Pratt that raised the concern for the presence of arsenic in the local ground water. I spoke with Ellen Epstein about it and she consulted with the New York Rural Water Association for some information.

The basic information is that there are both naturally occurring and contamination sources for the presence of arsenic in water. Arsenic was a common ingredient in pesticides, back in the day. Arsenic that was detected in Kinderhook possibly was a residual from its use in apple orchards. It was also used in embalming. It also occurs as a natural compound in some types of bedrock formations. There are a number of public wells that have had to treat for arsenic, especially after the EPA lowered the acceptable level for water safety.

You can have water tested–it’s usually done as a part of a suite of other constituents. You can have your water tested for arsenic at any lab that is certified for drinking water analysis. Ellen supplied a link to ELAP certified labs in NY. Look for those that do potable water :

If you have a well you can check with the lab that certified your water for drinking and ask if they tested for Arsenic. If they didn’t, you can send them a sample of your water to test if it will make you more confident about your water. Just discuss it with the Lab.